There are known in the prior art a number of different existing types of clamp. One such known clamp is the traditional "clothes peg" type clamp. Such a clamp includes a pair of clamping jaw members pivotally mounted with respect to each other, and with the jaw members being spring biassed into engagement with each other. In use or such a well-known clamp, the jaw members are moved apart against the spring bias and the items to be clamped, eg sheets of paper or clothes to be clamped to a clothes line etc., are placed between the jaws. The jaws are then allowed to close and the spring bias causes the jaws to clamp the items in place.
The strength of such a conventional clamp is largely dependent on the strength of the spring bias. A strong spring bias will provide a strong clamping action, but at the same time will also make the jaws difficult to open to insert the items to be clamped, and thus make the clamp awkward to use. A weak spring bias makes it easier to open the jaws, but also of course reduces the strength of the clamping action. Even where there is a strong clamping action, if the items being clamped are heavy and the clamp is used to suspend them, there remains the possibility that the weight of the items will drag them from the jaw members of the clamp.